Photographic-printing machine.



w. E. GROTE. PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5.I9I4 1,159,373. Patented Nov. 9, 1915. I 2 SHEETS SHEET a w Cid I In II! I I h W. E. GROTE.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1914. 1,1 59,378. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- WILLIAM E. GROTE, OF NEW YORK, Y.

PHOTOGRAPHIC-PRIN'IING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N 0v. 9,

2 Application filed November 5, 1914. Serial No. 870,428.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM E. GRoTn, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic-Printing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use thesame.

My present invention relates to an improved means for rapidly andaccurately handling photographic negativesand sensitive sheets in theoperation of printing, and more particularly to apparatus of thischaracter especially adapted to printing successive photographs fromdifferent negatives,

one at a time, and disposing of the same' automatically until ready forthe operation of development.

My invention supplies means capable of use in a dark room wherebyartificial light may be used without danger of its affecting anysensitive plates, films or paper in the room, not intended to beaffected.

lVhile the broad principles of my invention are capable of embodiment ina va riety of formswhich will readily occur to those skilled in the art,I prefer the form shown in the accompanying drawings wherem Figure 1 isa side elevation of the apparatus as arranged for foot power, Fig. 2 isa front elevation of the same, Fig. 3 is a partial median section, Figs.4, 5, 6, 7 and S are partial views of details of the constructions ofthe movable carrier, and F ig. 9 shows two screens for a special purposehereinafter described. p

The apparatus as a whole comprises a lightchamber containing electriclights be hind a front glass plate affording an adjusting abutment forthe ne ative and printing paper during printing, in combination with amovable carrier adapted to carry the negative and printing paper intoposition against said glass.

One improvement preferably associated with the-elements above named isan automatic arrangement of circuits whereby the for printing fromfilms, but, of course, the

printer can be adapted to use with glass plates by changes which will beobvious.

The light box 10, which may haveany convenient shape and size, ismounted upon a frame 11, which also carries the parts controlling themovable carrier. This carrier preferably takes the form of a table 12,so mounted as to swing around its lowerhorizontal edge, so that it maybe broughaflat up against the glass plate 13, which closes the front ofthe light box (see Fig. 3).

A suitable number of electric lamps 14 are suitably arranged within thebox and a small red lamp 15 may be placed upon the same, to facilitatework in the dark room. The circuit which feeds the lamps H isinterriqqted at two opposed springs 16, preferably on one side of thebox 10; but, when the table 12 is swung up into printing position, the

gap at 16 is closed by a lance shaped pin 17, which, by its shape, alsotends to hold the table in place by engaging with said springs. Itfollows that the lamps 1e are automatically lighted, by. closing oftheir circuit, each time that the table 12 assumes the printingposition. I

When in the inoperative position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the table 12rests so that the bowed springs 18 attached to its front or under sideare supported upon a swinging frame 19, pivotally suspended upon the bar20, and controlled by a pedal 21, connected with the frame 19 for thispurpose by means of the toggles In the preferred form shown the supportof the lower edges of the negative and sensitive sheet is afforded by amovable ledge, comprising a thin strip 23 adapted to slide in and outwithin a closelv fitting groove near the bottom of th table 12. As shownin Fig. 7, this ledge is preferably provided with pins 24 at its endsadapted to slide in suitable slots in the table 1:2, to limit in and outmovements of said ledge (see dotted lines in Figs. at and 5). When thetable 12 is tilted forward, as in Figs. 1 and 5 the forward edge of theledge 23 abuts against a stop 25, which thrusts it back into position tosupport the lower edge of the sensitive sheet 26, as in Fig. 5.

The lower edge of the negative 27 rests upon the inner portion of acurved frame .28, adapted to slide within grooves 29, below I the table12. said frame having an inner upsockets 32 are mounted springs 33,which act to impel the frame 28 forward into the position shown in Fig.3, whereby the lower edge of the negative 27 is gripped. Immediatelybehind the supporting edge of the frame :28 is a large opening 34,through which the negative and print are free to fall when the frame 28is in the position shown in Fig. 4.

Inoperating the machine, the sensitive sheet is placed upon the ledgeand the negative upon the frame :28, in which position the forward endsof the spurs 31 impinge upon the stops 25, thereby holding the lip 30away from'the table 12, as shown in Fig. 5. Upon then pressing the pedal21, and swinging the table 12 upward, the first effect isv to liberatethe ledge 23 and the frame :28 from confinement by the stop 25,whereupon the springs 33 cause the frame 28 to slide forward until thelip 30 clips the negative and forces the sliding ledge 23 forward asshown in Fig. 3. hen the table 12 assumes the printing position, thenegative and sensitive sheet are pressed against the glass 13, and thelamps 11 are automatically lighted as heretofore explained. At the sametime, a knob 1:35, acting as a retaining means, on the end of and behindthe frame 28, is embraced by a spring on springs 36 on the box, whichlatter serves also as an abutment, so that, in the final printingposition, all moving parts are held firmly in place. as shown in Fig.'3. After a sufiicient exposure. the table 12 is allowed to drop backagain. printing position, the spring or springs 36 act to hold back thesliding frame 28, causing it to assume the position shown in Fig. 4.This permits the negative 27 and undeveloped print 26 to fall throughthe opening 34. These are caught by an open door As it first leaves the-37, whose lower edge is hinged in front of the opening to a box orcontainer 38, into which the negatives and prints drop as soon asreleased. As the table 12 continues to drop forward, the tension of thesprings 33 finally becomes sufficient to withdraw the knob from thespring socket 36.

'here negatives or prints of different sizes are to be accommodated, orwhere only a part of a full sized negative is to be printed. thin opaquescreens may be used having light openings of proper sizes and shapes.Two of these are indicated at 39 in Fig. 9. 'lhey-may be combined withthe apparatus hitherto described by providing a. suitable narrow slitbehind the glass 13, whereby the screen may he slid down into placewithin the box 10, as shown at 39 in Fig.

It will be seen that my invention provides a simple and reliableapparatus whereby prints may be rapidly produced, and automaticallydeposited preparatory to development.

Various changes may be made in the structure and arrangement of myapparatus, without departing from the scope of my invention, and I donot limit myself to the details herein shown and described. 'hat I claimis 1. In apparatus for printing photographs, a light box closed on oneside by a transparent plate. a movable table for the negative andsensitive sheet. a ledge mounted to slide in a close fitting groove insaid table, and a stop arranged to impinge upon said ledge when saidtable is brought forward.

2. In apparatus for printing photographs, :1 light box closed on oneside by a transparent plate, a movable table for the negative andsensitive sheet. a movable ledge mounted on said table and adapted toreceive the edge of a sensitive sheet. a sliding frame In apparatus ofthe character described.

a movable table for the negative and sensitive sheet,a sliding framemounted on said table and having an i'ipturned lip, a spring tending topush said frame forward, and astop impinging on said frame to push itbackward in one position of said table, substantially as described.

4. .ln apparatus of the character described a movable table fortheneziative and sensitive sheet, a sliding frame mounted on said tableand having an upturned lip, a spring tending to push said frame forward,a light box toward which said table and frame are adapted to move. andmeans adaptedto oppose a temporary resistance to the springs on saidframe so as to draw the frame backsupported on said table below saidledge and ward during the beginning of forward a movable table for thenegative and sensitive sheet, a sliding frame mounted on said table,comprising a ledge limited by an upturnedlip at the back and by anopening at the front, spurs on said frame, sockets receiving said'spurs,and springs on said spurs, 10 abutting on said sockets, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM E. GROTE. \Vitnesses H. S. MACKAYE, liATi-IARIXE U Mmn

